Every cricketer’s got a ‘thing’. It is immediately apparent that Friedel de Wet’s ‘thing’ is his entirely superfluous bunny hop at the start of his run-up.

De Wet cut through England’s lower order like urine through snow and we can only think that it was because most of them were wondering what exactly he’d just jumped over during his approach to the crease.

“Did he just jump over a badger with a knife? Is the badger gang here in South Africa? How did they get here? How did they know? Why is the umpire raising his finger. Shit.”

Obviously the badgers in question are Ratels – honey badgers, pound for pound Africa’s most fearless animal. Not a lot messes with a Ratel – not even Leopards, they are seriously hard bastards that don’t need knives like woosy English bagers.

Ah Wikipedia – Yeah I’ve seen that page. Sound science and the interweb have not really melded very well, and often not at all in Wikipedia.

A bit like melding Ian Bell and reliable run scoring – its all a bit of a fiction.

That statement about the acid is not referenced to a specific article. That section seems to be widely attributed to: Mondadori, Arnoldo Ed., ed (1988). Great Book of the Animal Kingdom. New York: Arch Cape Press.

I’ve not seen the ‘Great Book of the Animal Kingdom’ but I can imagine some badly drawn pictures.

Walker’s Mammals of the World [fifth ed Vol 1, 1991 – which is a standard reference] only mentions an ill-smelling liquid from the anal region for members of the Order Pholidota. MacDonald the Encyclopaedia of Mammals vol 2 1984 says pungent secretion. [I’ve not got Wilson, and Reeder, (eds). Mammal Species of the World.]

Birds and reptiles excrete uric acid – so mind the pigeons.

Anal – moi? But if you do come up with a proper scientific paper on the composition of pangolin squirt [showing it to be largely corrosive acid] there might just be a drink in it. the Zoo library is not that far from Lords….but do watch the closing dates over the festive period.

Leap over a honey badger, thus leaving my nadgers exposed to a swipe from its mighty claws? I don’t think so. Instead, I’d adopt a semi-circular meander at the top of my run-up, much like Dermot Reeve when he was being silly.

I know this is not the website for actual information, but entiely for Mahinda’s benefit, i see Dermott Reeve is making headlines in NZ. Accussing Ravi B of ball tampering no less. And wagering his childrens lives on the fact.

Missing Dermot Reeve is a bit like old folks missing their neighbourly childhoods. They only remember the good bits. They forget about the dire poverty, local protection rackets (no crime of course), the dreadful communicable diseases like diptheria and tuberculosis, plus the hunger-related ones like scurvy and rickets.